Pirnless shuttle



July 22, 1969 JAEGER ET AL PIRNLESS SHUTTLE Filed Aug. 18, 1967 INVENTORS m 95$; .rma

RUDOLF JAEGER HELMUT MACHO .6 QQE a ATTORNEY United States Patent U.S. (:1. 139-125 )2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A special carrier shuttle without bobbin in a loom of the type in which predetermined lengths of weftyarn for two picks are withdrawn from storage spools fixed on both sides of the loom, the ends of the picks being inserted into the shed alternately from the right and the left of the loom by means of the special pirnless shuttle riding upon the sley.

The special pirnless shuttle has a channel along its entire length and is provided with a longitudinal slit, tuck and brake elements at the body ends for the reception of the weft yarns, and further has a longitudinal slit in the top surface bounded by lips which are relatively close to each other at the center portion to obscure the much wider dimensions of the inner channel along the length of the shuttle.

This invention relates to a special carrier shuttle without bobbin in a loom of the type in which predetermined lengths of weft yarn for two picks are withdrawn from storage spools fixed on both sides of the loom, the ends of the picks being inserted into the shed alternately from the right and the left of the loom by means of the special pirnless shuttle riding upon the sley, the loom being of the type which is disclosed by H. Schaeffer in the drawings, description and claim 1 of US. Patent No. 3,050,- 088, by way of example. The special pirnless shuttle of the present invention, in contrast with the pirnless shuttles of the prior art, has a slit for the introduction of the thread from the outside to an inner channel along its entire length. Thus, the special shuttle is provided with a longitudinal slit opening into a wider, inner longitudinal channel and also with tuck and brake elements at the body ends of the shuttle for controlling the weft yarns. The shuttle of the present invention serves to control the insertion of the weft yarns which is withdrawn from stationary storage spools located outside of the shed of the loom. These weft yarns are measured to the correct lengths by means of measuring devices (not shown) and, after being measured, are inserted into the shed by the pirnless shuttle.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the imperfections in the high speed operation of pirnless carrier shuttles of the prior art which loop and snarl the filling yarn, break the yarn and jam it between the shuttle and reed or between the shuttle and race board to impair the loom operation and harm the quality of the woven fabric.

Other and further objects of the invention will be better understood from the following description and in view of the attached drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of the carrier shuttle of the present invention showing the brake and tuck elements at the channel front openings on left and right sides;

FIGURE 2 is a top view showing the longitudinal slit with narrow center portion and outwardly flared, curved, widened side portions;

3,456,693 Patented July 22, 1969 FIGURE 3 is a cross section along line III--III 0f FIGURE 1 which is slightly to the right of center;

FIGURE 4 is a back view showing a solid back; and,

FIGURE 5 is a bottom view.

The special pirnless shuttle of the present invention comprises one-piece solid body 1 of generally rectangular cross section with tapered ends 5a and 5b in which the top surface is formed with a longitudinal slit 2 extending the entire length of this top surface, the inner front and back surfaces of the slit being developed in a subsurface enlargement of generally oval cross section which is off center relative to the generally rectangular cross section of the solid body 1 and forms an inner channel 8 having its base lying obliquely along direction 8a of the generally rectangular cross section of the shuttle body 1 and extending along the entire length thereof. The longitudinal split in the top surface is bounded by lips 2a and 2b which are relatively close to each other adjacent the center portion of the body to obscure the much wider dimensions of the inner channel 8. As shown in FIG. 2, the lips 2a and 2b of the slit flare outwardly away from each other at the ends of the shuttle and are separated by a space of increasing width. These lips 2a and 2b extend generally longitudinally and flare along a curved path 20, 2d, 22, 2 2g, 2h symmetrically about the median or longitudinal axis of the shuttle on each side of line xx and thereby expose a part of the inner channel at each end of the shuttle. The lips near each end of the shuttle are bridged by the passageway 13 which is formed below the wing-shaped members 3 and 2e and 3 and 2]. These members face each other in the longitudinal direction of the split in the upper surface of the shuttle. Accordingly, the lips 2a, 2b split the face of the shuttle along the length of the upper surface thereof and serve as the cover for the passageway 13 lying in the vertical wall of the shuttle 1. The inner angular recesses 4 in the vertical wall of the shuttle form deflecting openings under the wing-shaped members in the upper surface and form hooks which oppose each other in the vertical wall, The rear portion of each of the wing-shaped members 2 and 2e in the vertical wall of the shuttle is arranged at to the longitudinal axis of the shuttle and merges into the bottom face of the shuttle which is, in turn, at an angle of 90 to the tapered ends 5a and 5b of the shuttle. Each wing-shaped member 2e and 2f is spaced at the same distance from the respective tapered ends 5a and 5b on each side and the top of the shuttle. The inner end portions of 2e and 2) are angled towards the midline of the shuttle. Viewed from the top, the flared mouth portions of the split front face of the shuttle just described define edge surfaces which are spaced apart in a very close relationship at the middle of the shuttle and in a wide relationship at the end portion thereof. At the flared end portions, the wing-shaped members 3 perform the function of tuck elements for the yarn and the brake function is performed by the recesses 4. The brake function of the angular recess 4 is effected because of the frictional forces exerted at the inward angle at the end of the slit or passageway formed between Wing members 3 and recesses 4. The filling yarn 9, as shown in FIG. 2, is guided through the passageway between wing member 3 and recesses 4, around the edges of these elements and, during the movement of the shuttle as shown by the arrow in FIG. 2, the position of the filling yarn is that which is shown by the legend in FIG. 2.

The relationship of the channel 8 to the lips 2a and 2b of the slit as seen in cross section in FIGURE 3 is such that the filling yarn 9 which has been measured and removed from the storage spool extends through the channel 8 in the shuttle box which is not shown but which is similar to that in the Schaetfer patent, No. 3,050,088.

The free part 9a of the end of the weft yarn that is to be inserted into the tuck elements 3 and brake elements 4 is conducted, after having been taken over by the tuck elements, into the longitudinal channel of the shuttle, so that the ends 9a of the thread will lie in the air current flowing through the channel 8 in the body of the shuttle during the flight of the shuttle through the shed whereby the part 9a of the end of the weft yarn is fixed through a clamp (not shown) or the selvage (not shown) in a manner similar to that in the Schaetfer patent. During the flight of the shuttle, the Weft ends are protected against harmful'influences which could exert a jamming orbreaking effect because of the shape of the curved, widened throat portions 8.

Whenever the movement of the shuttle for insertion of the weft yarn takes place, the end of the weft yarn will reach the inner portion of channel 8 of the shuttle through the slit 2, and be guided in the channel through the stream effect of the air current which is produced as a result of the flight of the shuttle, so that therecan be no jamming or entanglement of the weft yarn.

At the end ofthe movement of the shuttle 1 through the shed, the end of the weft yarn slips out from the shuttle and is taken over by holding elements (not shown) and is pulled until it is smooth.

Thus, the operation of the present novel shuttle provides for better control of the free end of the filling yarn (not shown) that has been measured and removed from the storage spool (not shown) during the standstill of the shuttle 1 within the shuttle box (not shown) between the stages of operation of the tuck element 3 in a mechanical manner (not shown) and the forward movement of the race board.

In comparison with the shuttle in FIGURE 8 of Schaeffer US. Patent No. 3,050,088, it is noted that the patented shuttle in FIGURE 8 is fiat in shape and provided with a cavity along a portion of the length which could be in the form of a cylindrical upward hole without lips. This shuttle is the conventional bullet-nosed shuttle and must have its center at the picking point and at the center of the cross section. In contrast to Schaeffers shuttle, the present shuttle, having a longitudinally extending cavity bounded at the top by inwardly facing lips along sub- .4 stantially the entire length of the top surface provides an entirely different operation. The dynamic air flow which is created by the forward movement of the present shuttle serves to stream the weft threa'd' at the position marked S in FIGURE 3; 1

We claim: i 1. A special carrier shuttle without bobbin for use'in a loom with stationary weft packages comprising:

a unitary elongated body provided with an inner channel along its entire length; 1 tuckand brake elements at the ception of weft yarn; a longitudinal slit in the top surface" of said shuttle at the middle portion thereof which communicates with said inner channeLJsaid longitudinal channel having overhanging lips which are. relatively close to each other at the center portion andwhich extend along substantially the entire length of the top surface between said tuck and brake'elernents; 1 said inner channel having a widened cross section which is developed along a curvewhosecenter is offset from the-central longitudinal axisrof said shuttle body; said overhanging lips ofsaid longitudinaltslit flaring outwardly .along a curved pathway on each side of the center portion toexpose part of the inner chan- -nel, 3 2. A carrier shuttle. as claimed in-claim 1,. wherein said tuck elements and brake elements are positioned side by side at opposite ends of said longitudinal slit at the outwardly flaring portions thereof.

body ends for the re- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS.

1,973,775 9/1934 Pool 139-125 2,072,160 3/1937 Dewas 139 125 2,739,619 3/1956 Aspden 139-125 3,050,088 8/1962 Schaetfer l39l26 HENRY S. IAUDON, Primary Examiner 

